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Updated January 10, 2024·
Based on your laptop needs, consider the Dell XPS 13 Plus for lightweight portability, longer battery life, and a more vibrant screen, which is great for general use and tasks that benefit from high-resolution displays, like photo editing. The MSI Cyborg 15, on the other hand, offers superior gaming features like a dedicated graphics card with ray tracing and DLSS, a higher refresh rate for smoother visuals, and a larger screen, but it's heavier and doesn't last as long on a charge. If your main focus is on gaming or you need stronger 3D and machine learning capabilities and are okay with a bulkier laptop, the MSI Cyborg 15 might be the better choice. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Dell XPS 13 Plus
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Cyborg 15
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.4
7.3
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
374.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for general use, while the MSI Cyborg 15 is good.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus excels in general use due to its more powerful CPU, significantly higher RAM for multitasking, superior OLED screen quality with higher resolution and color accuracy, excellent portability with its lightweight and slim design, along with a longer battery life. Conversely, the MSI Cyborg 15's advantages include a dedicated GPU which is better for gaming, a larger screen size, and multiple ports, but it's hindered by its heavier weight, bulkier build, and shorter battery life which makes it less ideal for on-the-go users.
Gaming and AI
6.4
7.2
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Cyborg 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the Dell XPS 13 Plus is only fair.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is equipped with Intel Iris Xe graphics and a high-resolution OLED display with a standard refresh rate, making it suitable for gaming and 3D applications that benefit from vivid screen quality, though it isn't optimized for fast-paced games that require higher refresh rates. The MSI Cyborg 15, on the other hand, features a powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a much higher screen refresh rate, which is ideal for responsive gaming experiences, but its screen resolution and quality are lower compared to the Dell.
Engineering and Design
8.2
7.5
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Cyborg 15 is good.
The Dell XPS 13 Plus excels for engineering and design due to its high-quality screen, fast CPU, substantial RAM, and integrated graphics suitable for tasks not requiring a dedicated GPU, all in a sleek, highly portable package. In contrast, the MSI Cyborg 15 sports a dedicated gaming-grade GPU and larger screen, but with lower resolution and color accuracy, beneficial for graphics-intensive work yet in a bulkier and heavier build.
Content Creation
8.3
7.5
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for content creation, while the MSI Cyborg 15 is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
8.3
7.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is very good for software development, while the MSI Cyborg 15 is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
8.4
6.8
13.4in
SIZE
15.6in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
374.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a better screen than the MSI Cyborg 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Dell XPS 13 Plus excels with its high resolution and brightness, providing a sharp and vibrant display, while the MSI Cyborg 15, with lower resolution and brightness, offers a less crisp but still adequate viewing experience. In engineering and design, the Dell's superior color gamut coverage ensures more accurate color representation, essential for precise design work, compared to the fair color reproduction of the MSI. However, in gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which limit the smoothness of motion crucial for these fast-paced visual tasks.
Battery
10.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Cyborg 15 has 7.5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Excellent
Good
13.4in
SIZE
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has excellent portability, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
6.7
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has very good build quality, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,849
$1,100
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a price of $1,849 and the MSI Cyborg 15 costs $1,100.
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How the Dell XPS 13 Plus and the MSI Cyborg 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell XPS 13 Plus | MSI Cyborg 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,849 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.6'' x 7.8'' x 0.6'' | 14.2'' x 9.9'' x 0.9'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.71 lbs | 4.37 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.63" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.84" | 9.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1280P | Intel i7-12650H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 55 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.4" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2400 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 374 nits | 234 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.2/10 | 7.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Dell XPS 13 Plus
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The XPS 13 Plus is powerful, but has its drawbacks. Dell did not only update the processor generation, but also decided to offer two completely different models from now on. The XPS 13 Plus gets the faster Intel Alder Lake-P chips, and the Core i7-1260P in our review unit offers good performance figures. However, the device once again shows the problems of the current Intel CPUs, because the high performance requires a lot of power. This affects the battery runtime as well as temperatures, so the new model (even with the Optimized power profile) is louder than the older model."
MSI Cyborg 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | April 2023
"The focus of the MSI Cyborg 15 lies on a compromise of performance, mobility, and power consumption. Due to the reduced performance settings, the CPU and GPU perform below their capabilities. Nonetheless, their computing power is still sufficient for FHD gaming at high to maximum settings even then. The power consumption, which is low for a gaming laptop, can be translated into a good battery life. Realistic values of 7 to 8 h are still possible, despite the relatively small battery capacity of 53.5 Wh. Unfortunately the USB-C port doesn't offer any support for Power Delivery, which would be a sensible feature in the case of the Cyborg."
Get a great deal on the Dell XPS 13 Plus or the MSI Cyborg 15
About Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
About MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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